Comments by Hughvon Palmer Most recent public comments by Hughvon Palmer https://nowcomment.com/users/24568 Duly noted. Thank you. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=641171 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=641171 Sun, 18 Dec 2016 00:01:37 -0500 The film is less sinister than the novel because much of the violence of the novel had been omitted from the film among other reasons. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641024 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641024 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 03:08:59 -0500 Absolutely. Totally agree. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641023 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641023 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 03:04:52 -0500 Agreed https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641022 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641022 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 03:04:14 -0500 Absolutely. And this of course can be achieved given the fact that visual representation is more readily appreciated than having to read to interpret. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641021 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641021 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 03:02:49 -0500 Not necessarily, of course. It is possible for a film adaption to be better than the book - Case in point A Clock Work Orange, written by Anthony Burgess and adapted for screenplay by the legendary Stanley Kubrik. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641020 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=641020 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 03:00:44 -0500 its what women love. Bottom line. Tough because they need to feel like he can protect them (alpha male), and at the same time sophisticated because women find normal or common boring. Most women are attracted to intelligence. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641018 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641018 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:46:09 -0500 Well...you wouldn't be a very good detective if you did. To be a good detective you have to play the fool to catch the wise. In other words, it very often involves one intentionally appearing ignorant or oblivious in order to gain more out of a suspect. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641017 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641017 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:43:36 -0500 It says the obvious...that he is intelligent. It also says that he cares about and is deeply invested in his job, because you need to be a well read individual to be a detective. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641016 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641016 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:23:54 -0500 quick witted Is right https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641015 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641015 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:37:04 -0500 Marlow is made to sweat profusely, and especially so in the scene when he first meets Vivian because a power struggle needed to be established, wherein Vivian needed to be seen as the "cooler" of the two initially. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641014 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641014 No better way to make someone seem inferior or less powerful - even if only for a moment - than to show them sweating. Sweating symbolizes nervousness, anxiety, uncertainty, and inferiority. Not saying that that is how Marlow is perceive in that scene, but I am saying that it helped Vivian look the cooler and calmer of the two in that moment. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:22:57 -0500 You've said just about everything I intended to say. Good job. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641012 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641012 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:21:50 -0500 One of my favorite scenes in the movie. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641011 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641011 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:21:06 -0500 Exactly. Good observation. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641010 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641010 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:16:03 -0500 Absolutely. The idea being not to appear too accessible or wanting in any way. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641009 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641009 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:14:14 -0500 For the very same reason that Temple Drake fell for The Candy Man in Sanctuary. The "Candy" here is that element of mystery and uncommonness. That what women are captivated by, no matter what race or culture. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641008 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641008 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:12:10 -0500 I would imagine that its for the very same reason that a film like His Girl Friday had heavy dialogue. The dialogue in His Girl Friday is actually the most important aspect of the film. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641007 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641007 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 02:04:43 -0500 To be honest, I expected to see more of a romantic relationship between Bogart and the Librarian across the street. They seemed to have more of an instant connection than did Bogart and Bacall. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641005 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641005 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:56:44 -0500 Aside from being a good film, it garnered most of its popularity from its star lineup - Humphrey Bogart and Laura Bacall https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641004 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641004 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:53:20 -0500 Entertaining, enthralling, and expansive. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641003 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56417?scroll_to=641003 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:49:59 -0500 Absolutely https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=641002 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=641002 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:45:59 -0500 Agreed. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=641001 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=641001 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 01:43:13 -0500 The film I would say that is missing is Intruder in the Dust and is one of those adaptations that adequately represents Faulkner's original work. In fact, Faulkner said as much about the film, so there is no refuting it. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640999 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640999 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:50:06 -0500 Black humor. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640997 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640997 I think the black humor is found in the novel where the reader is given the opportunity to learn what is going on in the minds of each character and how they relate to the other characters. The viewer is not able to view the inner workings of each characters mind in the same way that the reader has access to it. It is similar to the way we can view a character's monologue or soliloquy in a theater production and gain tremendous insight - and very often laughter - from that, that we wouldn't otherwise have access to during the characters interaction with others. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:26:09 -0500 That is absolutely what he is about. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640995 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640995 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:19:48 -0500 Agreed. One advantage I can take away from this is that it almost forces you to watch it multiple times because, if you're like me, and you actually want to ensure that you have a full and clear understanding of what it is you're viewing, then you'll want https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640993 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640993 to go back and view from all angles in case you've missed anything, which, sure enough, you will have. It is brilliant in that sense because it forces you to evolve from just a superficial or passive viewer. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:10:54 -0500 The camera absolutely puts the viewer into the scene in many of the scenes. I recall one in particular where Darl is sitting on the front porch, just before his mother passes, and it is as if we are sitting right there with him on our own rocking chair. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640992 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640992 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:04:42 -0500 I personally couldn't see how the split screen could be used as a means of simplifying Faulkner's technique. If anything, I'd say it adds tremendous depth and complexity to Faulkner's already very complex technique. Perhaps you could elaborate. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640991 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640991 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 00:01:30 -0500 Touché https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640990 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56433?scroll_to=640990 And this fact, I believe, is lost upon many people who walk away from the avant-garde, not truly understanding the effort itself, as well as the limitations involved. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:57:21 -0500 Personally, I didn't find it boring. I was disappointed with the end, but appreciated it at the same time. In fact, I think you would be hard-pressed to produce a film that adheres to the story and that is much different from what we've already seen. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640981 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640981 Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:41:16 -0500 And the fact that he just really wanted to ruin that rug. Ruining that rug brought great joy to an otherwise uneventful day, filled with ill-thoughts and no outlet. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640978 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640978 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:31:09 -0500 And a man with no hope is the most dangerous kind of man. He has nothing to lose. Not even family. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640976 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640976 Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:29:57 -0500 Righteous rebellion maybe? I feel as if everyone is condemning what Ab did, but everyone is neglecting to address the circumstances that drove him to such extreme measures. Ab held all his oppressors in grave contempt. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640975 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640975 He was always a time bomb waiting to go off. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:25:10 -0500 Right you are. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640971 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56429?scroll_to=640971 Absolutely. And the viewer is left wondering whether he truly walks away from the experience a better person, or if by some twisted fate he becomes the very thing he abhors. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:12:24 -0500 A wonderfully rich novel with well developed characters. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640967 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640967 Intruder in the dust also succeeds in the fact that it has protagonists as opposed to "a" main protagonist, and we can identify with each one. Each character is fully fleshed out and plays a significant role in the world Faulkner creates (or recreates, depending on how you look at it.) Fri, 16 Dec 2016 22:54:45 -0500 As electrifying as it is thought provoking. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640958 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640958 Intruder in the dust succeeds, for me, for this very reason. On the one hand, it's entertainment value as a "thriller" is undeniable. Very well written (of course) and very well represented on screen. However, it is also much more than that.it is also a profoundly impactful message film which deals with the rotten core of social inequality, while at the same time, the audience gets to witness a boy discovering himself, having to think and fend for himself in certain instances. They essentially watch this scared little boy become a man. Sun, 18 Dec 2016 00:01:37 -0500 Indeed. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640954 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640954 Fri, 16 Dec 2016 22:08:42 -0500 Possible reason for poor box office sales. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640950 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640950 Perhaps it also had to do with the fact that people could buy a book and read it in the confines of their own homes. They're faced with the indignation that Faulkner weaves into his novels, but at least they're forced to grapple with it in private. Sharing that experience as a collective group in a theater, however; is a different thing entirely. I'm not so certain that 1940's white America was willing to subject themselves to that sort of visual condemnation. I am reminded of a certain scene towards the end of the film, wherein Mallison and his uncle are standing on the balcony overlooking the sea of cars "fleeing" from the jailhouse, after everyone has now learned that Beauchamp is innocent. It is here that Mallison so famously exclaims "They're running away" To which his uncle replies "Its much worst than that, they're running away from themselves." Racist white America hates to be faced with the fact that their racism is unfounded and unjust, they'd rather run away before having to answer for it. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:38:40 -0500 The role of Hollywood in American culture. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640944 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640944 And still today it is painfully obvious as to the role that Hollywood plays in American culture. Americans have this insatiable need to be entertained, so much so that they would elect to the highest office a man whose only merit is his ability to entertain. That to me says it all. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:35:59 -0500 O the irony. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640939 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640939 How ironic is it that MGM is seen to make this bold and heroic move by collaborating with Brown in making a message picture, which, in part, highlights the ills of racial and social prejudice, and yet in MGM's very own camp, blacks were not allowed to be housed with whites. Well...we can't ask for too much now can we? Baby steps, I suppose. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:35:03 -0500 Hernandez and Micheaux https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640937 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640937 And the fact that he worked with the legendary Oscar Micheaux certainly prepared him for this role as well, as Micheaux lived and breathed black message films - including but not limited to the film Within Our Gates (1920) which was produced as a response to D.W Griffiths Birth of a Nation - the film which brought about the resurgence of the KKK. Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:33:55 -0500 "Too proud to attempt to prove his innocence when he knows he won't be believed." https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640933 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640933 To me, this statement accurately represents Beauchamp's character both in the novel and film. Beauchamp would rather risk being executed than acquiesce to the white man. He would rather appeal to the white man's supposed logic and reason rather than beg and beseech and appear small. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 22:10:50 -0500 The message picture and society falling short of its ideals. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640928 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640928 Absolutely. This also reminds me of the example you gave in class about Twain and Huckleberry Finn, when Finn reads the letter and decides "Alright then, i'll go to hell." rather than turn in his back friend. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 20:48:26 -0500 The best adaptation https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640918 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56418?scroll_to=640918 Indeed. Much of what you said is spot on. Also its the fact that its the most overt of all the adaptations with regards to condemnation of racial discrimination. It was a bold move by both studio and director. In its day, it stood as a prime example of a "message film". Fri, 16 Dec 2016 20:27:35 -0500 Enough to render both book and film as night and day by comparison. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640900 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640900 For one, much of the violence in the novel is omitted from film, which is crucial because if one has the novel in mind while viewing the film, then much of the events and how they transpire just doesn't suffice or becomes impotent by comparison. Key characters who were murdered are either given slightly different roles in the film or not dealt with at all. And although Temple was raped with a corn cob in the novel, and that that was just about the limit to which Faulkner could get away with without running the risk of losing his readership altogether, and without running the risk of not having the book published to begin with, the fact that an adequate visual portrayal is not given by the film, takes away from the effect of the event, thereby failing to invoke certain emotions that I am certain Faulkner was aiming to invoke.It just doesn't carry the same weight. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 19:38:57 -0500 I agree. In fact, censorship, in a sense, forced filmmakers to be more creative in their endeavor to adhere to the true meaning of the novel while simultaneously abiding by the rules of censorship. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640898 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640898 Fri, 16 Dec 2016 19:14:14 -0500 I understand that statement to mean that the film adaptation adheres, somewhat, to the narrative of the novel but neglects, whether intentionally or not, the metaphoric or symbolic meanings so often associated with Faulkner's works. https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640897 https://nowcomment.com/documents/56414?scroll_to=640897 In other words, to watch the film adaptation and not read the novel would be to scratch the surface of Faulkner's genius, when most of his intended meaning might either be lost in translation between book and film, because it either becomes impossible to do so or it is necessarily omitted for budgetary reasons, or for not fitting the director's vision for the project. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 20:04:45 -0500